


Stand Under My Umbrella

by ficbypen



Category: Captain America (2011), Captain America (Comics), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (2012), Thor (2011)
Genre: Bromance, Community: capkink, F/M, Female Jewish Character, Gen, Science Doesn't Work That Way, Sex, Team Dynamics, Women Being Awesome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-08-24
Updated: 2011-08-24
Packaged: 2017-10-23 01:10:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/244588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ficbypen/pseuds/ficbypen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a run in with Loki reverts Steve Rogers to his pre-serum physique, he struggles with retiring his shield, quitting The Avengers and breaking up with his girlfriend. [<a href="http://capkink.livejournal.com/810.html?thread=401450#t401450">written for a capkink prompt</a>]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stand Under My Umbrella

**Author's Note:**

> **A/N:** [Bernie Rosenthal](http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/1767/ca29003a.jpg) [is Steve’s](http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/5799/ca29003b.jpg) **[crazy](http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/9227/ca27913a.jpg) [awesome](http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/4105/ca27913b.jpg)** ([&](http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/6492/ca28508a.jpg) [kink-ee](http://img542.imageshack.us/img542/2264/ca28509a.jpg)) [girlfriend](http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/1112/ca27914a.jpg) ([and](http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/9445/ca29216b.jpg) [then](http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/3574/ca29415b.jpg) [fiance!](http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/5079/ca29416b.jpg)) [from the 1980's.](http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/5467/ca28917b.jpg) [If you’re not familiar with the era](http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ldc5hz7CYE1qfoevgo1_500.jpg) [or have just seen The First Avenger,.](http://prettyfakes.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/cap_review_panel_1.jpg)  
>  **A/N2:** Story takes place _terra firma_ in the Movieverse; however, it brings in the tenants of 569 Leaman Place (Josh Cooper, Mike Ferrell, Anna Kapplebaum, Bernie Rosenthal), Sam Wilson (Falcon), and Bethany Cabe (Head of Security for Stark Industries) and updates their history from the 1980s to 2010s.

  
**Prologue  
**  
Cheeseburger & Paradise  


 

It takes Steve four months to decide he needs to move out of the Helicarrier’s barricks.

Thor’s friend, Darcy Lewis, ends up finding Steve his apartment at 569 Leaman Place. She claims to be “Facebook friends” with half of New York. Thanks to her friend Craig and his “epic” list, he finds the pre-War apartment in Brooklyn Heights. Steve falls in love with it immediately. It has enough square feet for a mini-gym and a drafting table. It comes with skylights, roof access, a dish washer, an ice box and huge range stove. “Cable and Internet are included,” the land-lady, Anna Kapplebaum, informs Steve. He doesn’t know what the means, but Darcy thinks it’s awesome.

He moves in on Saturday morning.

Bernie Rosenthal introduces herself Saturday night.

She shows up at his door claiming to have “accidentally on purpose” made too much pad thai and that she needs his help to eat it all.

Sunday they have brunch with Anna and the other two tenants in the building, Josh Cooper and Mike Ferrell.

Monday she drives him out to Red Hook to go furniture shopping at “Swedish for Poor College Student.”

Tuesday she sets up his wireless Internet router after he fights with it for an hour and _refuses_ to call Mr. Stark for aid.

Wednesday she makes sushi and teaches him how to use chopsticks.

Thursday she drags him to Chelsea Theatre to see “Raiders of the Lost Ark” because he tells her he’s never heard of it.

Friday she helps him rebuild his record collection.

  
**~**   


Friday he’s in love.

  
**~**   


On many occasions, Steve Rogers imagined making love to his beloved. Growing up, he imagined what he and a girl could do if he had the strength to make her happy. He’d go slow. Tell her how special she is. Treat her like a lady. Steve realizes now that back then he didn’t quite know what that _totally_ meant. Bucky and the other boys only knew so much. He certainly had no real world experience. In his fantasies, most of those details blurred together. The girl was always the same: Gail. She used to live across the street from him; when he lived in a one-room apartment with Ma instead of in an orphanage.

Then he joined the Army and met Agent Peggy Carter. Steve tried repressing his feelings. Agent Carter was an officer, and a colleague, and an advocate for Captain America being more than a ‘dancing monkey’, and... Every time he closed his eyes, he imagined her in that red dress. All of his fantasies starring Peggy involved her in the driver’s seat, teaching him how to operate a gear shift. And, Hell, that’s an awful metaphor. The fact that Peggy ever talked to him still surprises Steve.

Never had Steve imagined _fucking_ a woman.

 

As he does now.

The digital clock flashes 0644.

“Fuck,” Bernie pants. “Steve, fuck, fuck.”

Steve always dreamed about dating “the girl next door.” Turns out “the girl next door” is a foul-mouth, sassy glassblower from Manhattan Beach. Brooklyn, not California.

Steve tosses Bernie’s legs over his shoulders, spreads her wide and pounds into her. Just like she likes it. They don’t talk, don’t mutter sweet whispers. She claws at him, tugs him closer, licks the sweat off his skin. He runs his hand through her auburn hair. He pulls her into a kiss. “Bernie --”

The alarm blasts some noise that passes for music from the speakers. Steve leans over to turn it off. Bernie insists on programing the bedroom radio to the worst radio stations as impetus to scramble out of bed faster. “ _Steve_ ,” Bernie _whines_ when he pulls away to silence the radio. “Sex trumps scanning.”

“You hate this song.”

“Tik, Tok.” Laughing, she wraps her legs around his hips. “Don’t stop... fucking me.”

They fall back into rhythm. He satisfies her, fast and hard and unrelenting, until Bernie bites into his shoulder to muffle her screams. She sinks into the mattress spent, her body limp and red and hot. Steve runs his hands over her thighs and massages the muscles before he stretches them. She lets out a small gasp that morphs into a moan.

The bed creeks while Steve plops down beside Bernie. Steve tucks Bernie’s body against his; his hands roam her stomach. She’ll never admit it, but Steve hears her _purr_.

This is his favorite part. Erskine’s serum did more than make him bigger and stronger and taller; it gave him endurance, stamina. It takes at least two or three “rounds” before he reaches Bernie’s level of zen. Bernie twists her neck around and kisses him. "Ready when you are."

He reenters her from behind, taking his time.

Steve never imagined _fucking_ a woman but he _loves_ it.

  
**~**   


By 0745, Steve Rogers has showered, shaved, dressed (and changed the sheets on their bed). His SHIELD briefing starts at 0800 sharp. Meaning it really starts at 0900. His self-proclaimed God of Thunder and rock star/superhero teammates don’t believe in punctuality.

He enters his kitchen and beelines for the ice box to pull out a jug of milk and carton of eggs.

“Ah ah ah.”

Steve turns to see his bedroom door open. Out walks Bernie. Her hair’s still wet and she wears that damn novelty Captain America bath robe which looks unnervingly like his USO costume. Only the blue’s azure instead of navy. She crosses through the dining area with a hop in her step.

“ _Stalwart and steady and true!_ ” She hums under her breath. “ _See how this guy can shoot! We tell you, there’s not substitute!_ ” Pecking him on the cheek, Bernie grabs the egg carton and protects if as if it holds the plans to one of Mr. Stark’s latest inventions. “ _Forceful and ready to fuck me red, white and blue!_ ”

Bernie puts the carton on the counter. All tongue-tied and sputtering, Steve watches her pull the mixing bowls down from the cabinets. Steve feels the heat rush to his cheeks as he blushes and she opens the ice box to remove all the components of a healthy breakfast.

“I... Sometimes,” he blurts out, “I think you’re just...” He gestures with his hands and searches for the words. “That you just like me for my body.”

“I do.” Bernie says.

Steve opens his mouth to object. She uses it to her tactical advantage to French kiss him. Steve thinks he should push her away and say they need to talk about her admission. Only, kissing girls always makes him stupid.

When she pulls away, Bernie pats his cheek. “I just like you for your body.” She kisses his nose, “And your bravery, and your kindness, and your resourcefulness, and your adorable nervous blush, and your love of Cary Grant films, and your dirty sketches.” Bernie nods and over-acts solemn. “But you got me. I like your pecs best.” She rests her hand on them. “They are very pretty.”

He will never _ever_ understand women.

“What can I do?” He motions to the counter.

“I’ve had your egg-shell omelet. Not one of my favorites.” Bernie gently pushes him out of the kitchen. “Dismissed, Captain. That’s an order. Go get the paper while I whip up something edible.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Steve chuckles. He starts down the five flights of stairs to street level.

  
**~**   


Mr. Stark -- no, _Tony_ \-- Mr. Tony says that she’s probably a Hydra agent sent to spy on him. Steve thinks Mr. Tony’s just upset that Steve refused his offer to put him up at the Stark Tower penthouse. (“It’ll be fun,” Mr. Tony says with a hint of boyish charm in his voice. "We can have sleepovers and stay up all night and bitch about girls." Steve sometimes thinks he'll never get the 21st Century sense of humor. It's really not that funny.) Mr. Tony even offers Steve the Mansion on 5th Avenue. Steve's eyes almost popped out of his sockets. He could never live Uptown. That's where the rich people live.

  
**~**   


Steve returns to his apartment about ten minutes later with the _Daily Bugle_ , _Times_ and _Village Voice_ under one arm and a bouquet of eleven dark-red roses in his hand.

"They're gorgeous." Bernie smiles and leans up to kiss him. "Best boyfriend ever."

Steve manages not to blush. He puts the papers on the kitchen table instead. That's a much better idea than blushing.

He tries not to flinch at the idea of Bernie having other boyfriends. She's twenty-seven. He knows she has. They've only ever talked about it once; when he told her that he has never... done this before. (And boy did that night not turn out as he expected...) Steve remembers that conversation between Mike Ferrell and him awhile back: "That girl is kink-eee." And Bernie says that Maria Hill can come over any time she wants... So maybe her experience doesn't come from having boyfriends...? And that's just too confusing for Steve.

He decides that the music’s too loud. Steve walks over to Bernie's i-turntable. "I'm turning this down."

"Only if you can name that tune!"

"Uh... It's by a female rock group and it's from the 1980s."

"Close enough!" Bernie chirps. “It’s Heart.”

Steve turns down the music. He then decides to find a vase for the flowers. As he does, he watches her fix breakfast. She reminds him of a fry cook at a greasy spoon. She’s damn quick. Steve suspects some person out there might accuse him of sexism, or being an old-fashion guy, for thinking he likes watching her cook. Last person that cooked for him was his mother, and... Steve shakes his head 'cause he’s pretty sure the analogy stops there.

He knows he should offer a hand. Alas, Bernie will not let him within six feet of the range; no matter how many times he offers or insists that he can boil water without burning the building down. “I cook,” she always responds. “You clean.”

And by the way Bernie carries dishes over to the kitchen table, it looks like he’ll _definitely_ do his share of the cleaning this morning. Steve takes a seat. He pours her orange juice. She brings over a plate of home fries. They both settle in for breakfast.

She drops two spoonfuls of sugar in his coffee. "Speaking of music, I have tickets --"

"No." He cuts up a mango and gives her half.

She salts his home fries. "Oh, c'mon, I haven't even --"

He picks up his egg, bacon cheeseburger and takes a ridiculously huge bite. "NoMmmah."

“You’re never going to forgive me for that.” Bernie reaches for the _Times_ and zeros in on the crossword.

Shaking his head, Steve takes another bite of his burger. “Shouldn’t we be having bacon and eggs?”

“We are. On a hamburger. It’s glorious. ‘Beast of Burden’.”

“Mule.”

“Three letters.”

“Yak.” Steve picks up some home fries. Bernie lights up with a ‘I should’ve known that!’ expression as she fills in the blocks.

Steve opens the _Bugle_. Tony's making headlines on all fronts -- as Iron Man, as CEO of Stark Industries, as a playboy. Steve does a double-take when Judy Lumley’s Page Seven claims that Tony’s dating some blonde woman. Isn’t Tony still dating Beth? Oh. Right. Steve shakes his head and remembers not to trust the papers these days.

Steve says, “So why are we having burgers for breakfast? Not that I’m complaining.”

“Better to eat heavier foods in the morning. If we had this meal tonight, it’d just sit in our stomachs and turn to fat.” Bernie munches on a bit of bacon that fell off the burger. “And after our workout this morning, I’m starving.”

“I wish you wouldn’t say it like that.”

“Why not? I’ve lost ten pounds since we started fucking.”

“ _Bernadette_.”

“ _Steven_.” Bernie laughs, “It’s true! I’ve calculated that I need 1800 calories a day to maintain my weight. Only now with the sex, I’ve calculated I need 2400 calories to get back up to were I should be and maintain my ideal weight --”

“I think you look beautiful now --”

“I think I look like an anorexic bitch --”

Steve gives her a _look_. That she ignores.

“And Heroin Chic is so 1996. In laypersons terms, every morning you fuck me for a good twenty minutes, I get to mack on a bacon cheeseburger.”

Steve pauses. “Sure you’re not just using me for my body?”

Bernie swats him across the head with her newspaper.

  
**~**   


Steve hops the 0845 R train to Whitehall Station. From there it’s brisk walk to the pier, where Not-Peggy waits for him with a copter.

“Good morning, Captain.” She smiles. She wears her regulation SHIELD catsuit and her hair slicked back in a bun. It fits her more than the 1940s garb she wore when she first met him.

”Mornin’, Agent Carter.”

Those are the only words they exchange during the flight to the Helicarrier.

He wants to like Not-Peggy (despite the stunt she and her fellow SHIELD agents pulled when he first wakes up).

Not-Peggy is smart, capable, fearless and damn good at her job; that’s the problem. So is --was her aunt. No matter how crazy-stupid-in-love Bernie makes him feel, he just can’t get over Peggy.

Bernie says that no one ever gets over their first love, even after decades, even after they’re happily married. And everyone has “one that got away.” For Steve, they’re both Peggy Carter. Steve looks at Not-Peggy and all he sees is what could have been. More than the new technology or the price inflation or a black president, Agent Carter is the biggest reminder that the world he knew is gone, and never coming back.

“Agent Coulson’s waiting for you inside,” Not-Peggy says when they land on the deck.

“Thank you, Agent Carter.” He tries to ignore the sad smile on Not-Peggy’s face as he exits the copter.

Steve gets about one hundred feet before he hears a blast in the sky. Turning, Steve watches Iron Man glide down beside him. “J.A.R.V.I.S, power down,” says the robot’s voice. With in seconds, the suit collapses into a perfect suitcase and reveals Tony Stark, wearing his crazy sunglasses and a shit-eating grin. He’s also still in his silk pajamas that are probably worth more then Steve’s half of the monthly rent.

“Cap!” Tony slaps him on his back. He picks up his suitcase.

“Mr. Tony.”

When Steve and Mr. Tony first met, he insisted that Steve call him ‘Tony.’ Steve found this unnerving; they don’t know each other that well, he’s older than Steve, and Steve -- despite considering Howard Stark one of his closest friends -- never called Mr. Stark anything but Mr. Stark.

But Mr. Tony insisted; and after a couple months, Steve found himself catching himself mid-sentence. “Mr-- Tony,” he’d correct. “That. I like that,” Mr. Tony nods one day while sipping his scotch, “Mr. Tony. Great pet name, Cap.”

It sticks.

“ -- Your missus’ scheming with Beth. Last time that happened we ended up in Saint Tropez and I don’t remember which one I slept with --”

Steve whips his head around. Mr. Tony now has his full attention as he looms over his friend. If... he... so.. much... as...

Mr. Tony’s grin only grows larger. “Ah ha, now I got your attention. I asked if you had any idea what this is about.”

“Oh.” Steve lets his shoulders relax. “No.”

  
**~**   


By 1650, the Avengers assemble in Midtown to fight a small army of Frost Giants.

Loki’s throwing a hissy fit.

Steve recognizes the Avengers have stepped into a family feud that’s taken on a more biblical scale. Steve really doesn’t get a damn if Thor and his brother have problems. He just doesn’t like when they take their problems out of the innocent New Yorkers. Can’t they go fight somewhere without buildings and people? Like Oklahoma.

“What’s his childhood trauma today?” Steve hears Barton ask over the communication link.

From a rooftop, Barton picks off the Giants with his bow. He never misses. One after another, after another, after another. Steve hates to admit this but... the guy’s a better marksman than Bucky.

“My Bugatti says it’s Daddy issues.”

Tony circles the skies providing air support. Steve notices, too, he uses an excessive amount of repulsor blasts; they’re going to have to talk about that afterwards. Unlike Barton, Tony doesn’t have perfect aim.

Barton retorts, “You always think it’s Daddy issues, Stark.”

“That’s because someone’s projecting,” a new voice, female with a slight Russian accent, adds in.

Natasha and he run crowd control. Steve knows Natasha hates crowd control. Thinks it’s beneath her and her skills. It is. Steve will be the first to admit that. However, who else will they send? Hulk?

They leave Bruce home for obvious reasons.

“Focus, Avengers,” Steve says.

Thor takes a chance. He drops Mjolnir to the ground and approaches Loki unarmed.

“Is he mental?” Tony screams over blasting more Frost Giants.

“He dies,” Clint says, “And I get his spot in your poker game, Rogers.”

“You and Thor both drink the same crazy juice this morning, Cupid?”

Natasha says, “At least they just drank juice,” at the same time that Clint says, “Coulson has a seat!”

“You’d cheat.”

Before Steve can tell them to shut up, he hears his cell-phone ring. He switches over via Tony’s fancy technology. He hears Bernie’s voice. She has her ‘I’m trying to act extremely cool and it might or might not be working’ tone. “I just got a Google alert saying your causing a traffic jam.”

“Loki,” he says.

“Got it under control?”

“It’s Loki.”

She laughs. “Text if you get kidnapped. Love you.”

She’s off the phone before he can respond.

Then she’s back again.

“Oh and we’re out of milk.”

“10-4.”

Loki and Thor speak.

Thor smiles and puts his hand on Loki's shoulder.

Steve sees it before Thor. Loki's staff appears, posed for a killing blow.

Steve flings his shield at Loki. He runs. He has to get to Thor in time. He dives, pushing Thor out of the blast --

He body screams in pain.

Last thing he thinks as he hits the ground is, ‘Damn it. They’re out of milk.’


End file.
